Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong (China) and Italy Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong (China) and Italy

Name: Italy
Address: IT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,848 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,718 in Italy, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,336 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $2,621 in Italy, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,823 per month in Hong Kong (China) vs $3,524 in Italy, rent included.

The cost of living in Hong Kong (China) is about 66% higher than in Italy on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Hong Kong (China) and Italy are pricier than the global median – Hong Kong (China) by 113%, Italy by 29%.

The regional cost range is wider in Hong Kong (China) ($2,848–$2,848) than in Italy ($1,176–$2,467), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.01 HK$70.6

$17.58 €15.36

-48.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 HK$509

$82.5 €72.0

-21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 HK$48.93

$11.72 €10.24

-46.76%

Cappuccino

$5.16 HK$40.46

$1.92 €1.68

168.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 HK$10.08

$2.99 €2.61

-56.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 HK$8.48

$1.36 €1.19

-20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.55 HK$51.4

$5.76 €5.03

13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 HK$48.50

$5.22 €4.56

18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 HK$23.43

$1.69 €1.48

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.12

$2.33 €2.04

-0.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 HK$15.83

$3.05 €2.67

-33.77%

Eggs

$3.45 HK$27.07

$3.99 €3.49

-13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.07 HK$197

$16.68 €14.57

50.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 HK$79.8

$12.57 €10.98

-19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.12 HK$173

$20.53 €17.94

7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 HK$27.48

$2.56 €2.23

37.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 HK$18.39

$2.20 €1.93

6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 HK$30.97

$2.68 €2.34

47.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 HK$23.02

$3.37 €2.95

-12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 HK$18.19

$2.04 €1.78

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 HK$17.46

$1.88 €1.64

18.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 HK$13.65

$1.47 €1.29

18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 HK$13.32

$0.54 €0.47

214.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 HK$102

$7.00 €6.11

86.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.89 HK$132

$7.09 €6.19

138.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 HK$14.45

$1.80 €1.57

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 HK$20.74

$2.51 €2.19

5.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 HK$13.15

$1.96 €1.71

-14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 HK$496

$41.58 €36.33

52.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 HK$29.48

$5.80 €5.07

-35.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.33

$1.60 €1.39

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 HK$117

$35.07 €30.64

-57.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.05 HK$23.94

$2.13 €1.86

43.19%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.7K HK$303.5K

$32.6K €28.5K

18.88%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K HK$260.6K

$33.8K €29.5K

-1.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$232 HK$1,819

$225 €197

3.11%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.87 HK$140

$13.14 €11.48

36.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 HK$175

$31.19 €27.25

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.2 HK$598

$57.2 €49.94

33.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 HK$67.6

$25.85 €22.58

-66.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 HK$98.2

$10.34 €9.03

21.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,004 HK$7,872

$564 €493

78.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K HK$170.5K

$10.3K €9,035

110.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 HK$580

$91.9 €80.3

-19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.96 HK$305

$40.54 €35.42

-3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 HK$706

$98.2 €85.8

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 HK$1,101

$132 €115

6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 HK$17.5K

$855 €747

161.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 HK$12.4K

$663 €580

138.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,811 HK$37.7K

$1,522 €1,330

216.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,083 HK$24.2K

$1,089 €951

183.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.5K HK$215.3K

$3,747 €3,274

632.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.0K HK$133.3K

$2,299 €2,009

639.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,220 HK$25.2K

$1,897 €1,657

69.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

4.41

-9.98%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hong Kong (China): July 13, 2026

Last update for Italy: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $2,160 in Hong Kong (China) vs $742 in Italy. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,160 in Hong Kong and $1,328 in Rome.

Average salary: $3,230 in Hong Kong (China) vs $1,912 in Italy. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 191% higher in Hong Kong (China).

Dining out costs 16% more in Italy.

Public transport is 43% more expensive in Hong Kong (China).

Salaries are 69% higher in Hong Kong (China).

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hong Kong (China) vs Italy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Italy is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 56% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Hong Kong (China), and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Hong Kong (China) consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Italy, contributing to the overall 56% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Italy, but in Hong Kong (China) it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Italy is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.